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Dan Gannon

Lease Program Manager at Data Sales Co., a technology leasing company in Minnesota

As a manager for a Minnesota-based technology leasing company, I have seen firsthand the damage that patent trolls have inflicted on businesses, and I recognize the economic impact on our state and on small businesses across the country.

Today, patent trolls impact our nation’s economy by attacking legitimate businesses with frivolous lawsuits. Trolls account for a majority of all patent litigation in the United States, a clear illustration that this problem is only getting worse. And a lot of the problem is borne by small or independent businesses that are forced to succumb to settle out of court to avoid costly lawsuits against the better-funded troll and its attorneys. These businesses desperately need a way to push back on trolls that is separate from the courts and that doesn’t break the bank.

The President and Congress need to work together to pass and sign comprehensive patent reform legislation now so that companies from startups to large corporations are better able to direct their resources to the creation of new products and jobs rather than wasteful litigation.